Achieve Your Dreams With Career Coaching

As a coach, I was asked to describe what a coach does.

It would have been very easy to slip into the usual descriptions of what a coach does or how coaching is a medium to help people transition from a point A to point B, by increasing their self-awareness and helping them discover the solutions that live with them. Too easy, in fact.

It was two weeks ago that we started discussing different metaphors for coaches.

One of the first metaphors I've heard was about a flute. A coach can be like a flute, empty and clear, so that the sound of the flute can come through. There was another a-ha moment, when I found something else too.

It was last Friday evening. The day had started at 3 a.m. for me due to travel. I had just finished an event for my clients about 20 minutes ago and I joined my cohort to discuss what a coach is. I had come in straight from the event and I hadn't even had time to even change out of my work clothes or make myself comfortable... Nothing other than having a sip of water and plugging in my laptop. So, when we started discussing what a coach is, the first thing I could think of was:

A coach is like a makeup remover. 

When we interact with different people, we consciously or unconsciously try to show different aspects of what we are expected to show. Some of them may be true to ourselves, and some may be facets we try to emphasise. For example, at work, I might try to highlight the aspects that I'm competent in, whether I feel it or not.

Case in point: At the end of the event, I was still trying to be friendly and energetic. But in reality, I was exhausted beyond reason. That was the fact. It was literally like a layer of makeup I had put on my face to not show the exhaustion underneath. 

‘Makeup’ could also be that calm, steady face you put on yourself when you're dealing with someone you don't really get along with, or even a temper tantrum from your child. ‘Makeup’ could also mean showing yourself as an outgoing & extroverted person while giving a public speech or taking a session or seminar, even when it's not really yourself. Sometimes, you might have put makeup so many times on your own face, that you don't even realise it when you're stepping into that situation.

It takes a coach who's asking you questions that go deeper into your values and deeper into the situation to probably shine some light on you. A coach can be like a makeup remover, helping us to see our true selves and values underneath the layers of "makeup" we wear. Getting that clear and honest perspective enables individuals to gain self-awareness and make positive changes.

A coach can also be seen as: 

• a vessel for holding thoughts and facilitating change, 
• a gentle lamp that shines light into dark areas helping us uncover our strengths and our blind spots, 
• or even a chef who helps us peel away the layers of an onion to get to the core of an issue. 

Coaches can also be navigators, assisting people in charting their course through life's uncharted waters. They help people navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and stay on track toward their desired destination. 

Another metaphor that my friend Mohit Bahl mentioned, has really stuck with me. 

With a small rudder, even a large ship slowly changes the direction it is heading. Similarly, a coach helps move a person in the direction that they would like to go, from the direction they currently are looking at.

Ultimately, the best metaphor for a coach is the one that resonates most with you and helps you to understand the coaching process and how it can help you achieve your goals.

Regardless of which of these analogies resonate with you, I hope that if and when you start a coaching journey, it enables you to truly transform from the face that you are into the face that you want to be.

If you feel that you'd like to engage in a coaching conversation, drop me a ping and I'd be happy to connect.